Mechanism for feeding string-beans, &amp;c.



w. mumsswomn.

MECHAMSM rah FEEDING STRING BEANS,&c.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-H3, I914.

1,276,375. Patented Aug. 20, 1918.

3 SHEET I l.

WITNEEEIEEJ lNvENTuR ATTEIR NEYEI- ms NuRms PETERS co. Pnomurna. wAsnmcmN. n c

w. KILLINGSWORTH.

MECHANISM FOR FEEDING STRING BEANS, &c.

Patented Aug. 20, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.I 8| 19.

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WiTNEEIEIE {0g INVENTUR flTTnRwiYa 1s: nonms PETERS cu. rwmaurno" wnsmrvsrvn. u. E.

W. KILLINGSWORTH.

MECHANISM FOR FEEDING STRiNG BEANS,&c.-

APPLICATION man AUG-l8, I914.

1,2763%. Patented Aug. 20, 19181 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNEEIBEE INVENT'JR ATTURNEYE m: "nu-arc warms co. PNum-Llrnm. wasnmamn. n, c,

UNITED STATES "PATENT ormon.

WILBER KfLLINGswonTH, or ooLUMBUs, oHIo, ASSIGNOR To THE PHINNEY ENGINEERING COMPANY, or CI-IILLIICOTHE, OHIO, A CORPORATION or-onro.

' Z '0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, WILBER KILLIN won'rrr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Frank- .lin and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Mechanism for The object of this invention is to pro- Feeding String-Beans, &c., "of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a mechanism or machinefor feeding string beans or the like to a, machine which subsequently operates uponthese articles, as for instance, to cut or snip olf opposite ends thereof, preparatory to canning or putting the same up in packages for thetrade.

Heretofore great difiicultyhas been experienced in properly feeding string beans to such snippingmachines which resulted in limiting the output as well as the efficiency of the same.

vide a feeding mechanism forstring bean snipping or trimming machines or the like which will take articles to be trimmed in a mixed'and tangled mass and notv only separate the same into small groups or units, but also feed them rapidly, regularly and evenly to "the'sni'pping or other machine ina manner which will enable the latter to trim said articles quickly and uniformly and without unduewaste of material.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved feeding mechanism associated-with a string bean snipper, a portion of the lat ter being shown in cross section.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof. Figs. 3 and 4 are vertical longitudinal sections taken on the corrjeslpondingly-numbered lines in Fig. 2.

-Figs,"5 and 6 are vertical cross sections taken on the correspondingly numbered lines in Fig. 2. j

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views; g p

' The main frame 1 of the machine may be of any suitable construction to support the working parts. 7 V

2 represents 'an upwardlyppening feed hopper, bin or receptaclewhich receives the mass of mixed and tangled string beans which are to be out off at their opposite ends. WVithin therear part of this hopper 1s arranged an elevatingdevice which picks up a few beans at a time and delivers the same Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug, 20,- 1918;

Application filed August 18,1914. Serial no. 857,320. T

t0 the device which agitates and straightens out the beans and delivers the same in the proper position to the machine which efiects the snipping of the ends thereof. This elevating device preferably comprises an endless belt 3 which passes with its lower turn around a lower supporting pulley 4 arranged in the lower partof the feed hopper while its upper turn passes around an upper supporting pulley 5 arranged between upward extensions 6 of the hopper side walls. The upper and lower pulleys 5, 4 are arranged vertically out of alinement, so that the two stretches of-the belt are inclined forwardly from the hopper.

The elevator-belt is operated so that its driving pulley 9 to which power may be transmitted from any suitable source through the medium of. a belt passing around said driving pulley. On its outer side the elevating belt is provided with a plurality of elevating buckets, wings or flights 10 which are secured transversely thereto at suitable intervals. On the front or opera: tive stretch of this belt each of as buckets picks up one or moreof'the beans which are loosely arranged in the feed hopper or re-, ceptacle and carries the same upwardly and .overthe upper supporting pulley 5 and then discharges the same downwardly during the first portion of thedownward movement of the respective bucket with the inoperative stretch of the elevator belt.

As the beans are discharged from thebuckets of the elevator belt, they *are received by a positioning device whichfcauses the beans to be all arranged in'a definite position and quickly fed to the devices which ends of these side walls are arranged underneath the overhanging upper portion of the elevatorbelt so that the beans escaplllg downwardly from the buckets when passin around the upper turn of thebelt drop into,

tween the longitudinal side walls and passingat'its'front and rear turns around a receiving pulley 14c and a delivery pulley 15 so as to provide an upper horizontal operative stretch which moves from the receiving pulley to the delivery pulley and a lower inoperative stretch which moves from the delivery pulley to the receiving pulley. That portion of the deliverybelt passing around the receiving pulley is arranged'underneath the upper end ofthe elevator'belt and the receiving pulley 11 is mounted on, a horizontal front shaft 16 which is journaled transversely in suitable bearings mounted on the front ends of the side walls 11, 12. The delivery pulley '15 is mounted on a horizontal shaft 17 which is journaled trans,- versely in suitable bearings on the rear ends of the side wallsand is preferably provided with a pulley 18 which is adapted to receive a driving belt for operating the delivery belt, although any other suitable means may be employed for thispurpose.

On opposite sides of the delivery belt and between the latter and theside walls-of the positioning device are arranged a-plurality of agitating bars 19,20, 21 which areadapted to agitate or shake the beans falling upon the same and cause any beans hanging together in bunches to be broken up andscattered, so that they fall upon the upper op erative stretch of the delivery belt in a spread condition and in a position lengthwise of the movement of this belt, whereby the string beans wheni discharged from thisv belt 'at the discharge end thereof will be properly presented to, the carrier which delivers themto the snipping mechanism or other machine. Although the number of agitating bars may be varied it has been found satisfactory in practice to. employ three of such bars in eachof the spaces on opposite sides of the delivery belt between the latter and the respective side wall. The agitatin bars of each set or group are arranged lengthwise of the delivery beltand parallel with the same and with eachother and a rising and falling as well asa longitudinally reciprocating movement is imparted to each of said bars,.so that the same operate to gradually propel the beans falling on the same in the same direction in. which the upper operative stretch of the delivery belt moves. For this purpose each. of the agitator bars is so mounted that the upper side of the front part bf the same when in its lowest position is flush or substantially so with the top .ofthe operative stretch of the delivery belt, while -,in its uppermost position the top of this bar is always below the upper edge of the adjacent side wall, thereby confining any beans which may be deposited upon this bar betweenthe, .side walls and eventually causing the beans to slide from this bar upon an adjacent bar or upon the upper stretch of the deliverybelt.v

This, agitating movement of each bar may be effected in various ways, the means for this purpose shown in the drawings being suitable and comprising :a transverse guide bar 22 secured to the lower rear parts 'ofth'e side walls in position to slidinglysupport the rear ends of the several agitatorbars, and an eccentric or cam23 mounted on the front shaft 16 and engagingwith a bearing opening or socket24inthe front end of the The (eccentrics of respective agitator bar. eachgroupof agitator bars may 'bevariously arranged so that the several; bars 'in each group operate irregularly, that is to say, while one agitator-bar ismovi'ng upwardly and forwardly, an adjacent bar willgbe moving downwardly and rearwardly, In the preferred arrangement of the eccentrics, as shown in Fig. 5, the adjacent eccentrics :are not in axial alinement, the centralfeccentric of each group of bars having its high part on one side of the front shaft 16 while the group move downwardly andubackwardly.

15 this means a continuous tossingoragitation offthe beans depositedupon the agitator bars is effected, which causes the beans to be.

separated and spread out and eventually WOIKGCl transversely l iiward and in a lengthwise alined position upon the upper Operative stretch of the delivery belt The latter travels rapidly, so that when the beans'are de-- livered upon the same in aposition lengthwise thereof,.they are quickl'ydischarged from the rear or delivery end of this beltjto the devices which carry the beans without further liability of di'sarrangement to the devices which remove, snip or cut off oppo-,

site ends of the string beans or operateotherwise on the same."

Owing to the fact that the rear ends of the agitator bars slide upon the horizontal guide bar 22-,no perceptible up and' down or vertical movement occurs, in the agitator bars in those portions thereof which are ad'- jacent to this guide bar, but the front ends of the agitator bars which are mounted upon the eccentrics of the front shaft 16 receive the maximum vertical movement" which is imparted to these bars by the eccentrics. It follows from this that the beans which are deposited by the elevator belt and buckets upon the front ends of the bars receive the greatest vertical agitation and as the beans are gradually shifted forwardly on the agitating bars by the longitudinal re ciprocating movement thereof, the vertical agitation of the beans gradually becomes less pronounced and practically ceases altogether by the time the beans reach the rear ends of the agitator bars, thereby gradually bringing the beans to a state of rest so far i as vertical motion is concerned as they pass from the front ends to the rear ends of the agitator bars, so that they are not liable to beshifted upon the delivery, belt in a crosswise position, but instead are delivered to this belt in a position lengthwise thereof.

In order to facilitate this'gradual reduction in the vertical agitation of the beans asthey move from the front ends to the rear ends of the agitator bars, the outermost agitator bar of each group is provided with an upright stop, shoulder or deflector 25 on itsupper side at a point adj acentto the elevator belt and preferably about one-third of the length of this bar from the front end thereof. The .central bar of each group is provided with a similar stop, shoulderor deflector 26' on its upper side which is arranged about one third of its length from the front end thereof, while the innermost bar of each set or'groupis provided on its upper side at a point about three quarters of its length from the front end thereof with an upwardly projecting stop, shoulder or deflector 27. The several stops or deflectors of each group ofagitator bars .are arranged inan oblique row relatively to the direction of movement of the delivery belt and the two rows of deflectors of both sets of agitator: bars converge forwardly relatively to the .upper stretch of the delivery belt from the receiving toward the delivery end thereof. It follows'from this construction that any beans which are depositedby the elevator upon the outermost members 19 of the two groupsof agitator bars are permitted to pass forwardly with the same until they engage the. stops or deflectors 25 of:

these bars at which point the further forward movement on these bars is arrested and the beans during the continued agitation with thesebars are discharged upon the intermediate bars 20 of both groups. The beans then continue their forward movement on these intermediate bars due to the longitu same and are eventually dischargedv in-.

the operative stretch of the delivery belt n a leng hwise alined position and are swiftly carriedby the latter to the devices whichcarry the same to thecutting mechanism or other devices adapted to operate on the beans.

As the beans drop from the elevators buckets while the latter pass, over the upper supporting pulley .5 the same are divided so that some of them fall; on the: frontparts of one set of agitator bars and one half of the front part of the delivery belt while others fall on the front parts ofthe other set of bars and the other half of the front part of the-delivery belt, this being accomplished by mean of anupright dividing wall 28 .arranged lengthwise over the front orreceiving part of the operative stretch of the delivery belt in line with the longitudinal center thereof and supported at its front end on the adjacent cross piece 29 of the side walls while its rear end issupported by means of a cross piece 30 extending overthe delivery belt and agitator bars and secured to the ad j acent parts of the side walls. Inasmuch as the size or weight of the beans, the speed of delivery from the elevator to the agitator,

or other conditions, may influence the-equal or substantially equal divisionof the beans discharged from theelevato-r to the delivery belt and: agitator bars on opposite sides of the dividing wall, means are provided whereby this division may be adjusted with approximate accuracy. For this purposean adjustable dividingwing or plate 31, prefs.

erably constructed of sheet metal, is secured in an upright position to the upper edge of thedividing wall immediately below the place where the beans are dropped from the elevator buckets. By bending this divid ing plate laterally in one direction'or the other its upper edge'may be so located relatlvely to the falllng stream of string beans that this stream is divided into two substan-" tially equal parts and thereby causes both output of the machine accordingly. In

order to guard againstany string beans be-- ing thrown-over the longitudinal. wall 11 which is farthest from the elevator, the upper edge of this wall is provided at a pointv opposite the falling streamof beans with an upright guard 32 which intercepts any beans which tend to fly over this wall and directs 1 the same upon the adjacent parts of the agitator bars and delivery belt.

' The spaces between: opposite edges of'theupper stretch of the deliverybelt and the innermost agitator bars as well as the spaces between the several agitator bars and 1 also betweenthe outermost agitator bars and theside walls is so small-that no beans can get into these spaces. As a matter of=fact in actual practice-these various members Practically touch each other and form a substam tially' unbroken surface 7 for the mass of beans to rest upon.

The innermost agitator barsof both groups are preferably connected with each other-by means of a cross bar 33 at the delivery end thereof, which cross bar-is secured" to these agitator bars on the und'ersides of the" re-' duced rear portions thereof and extends crosswise between the upper and lower stretches of the delivery belt, as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and at, therebycauslng theres-pectiveagitator bars to be held in properrelation to the opposite edges or the'upjper stretch ofthe delivery belt. These innermost agitatorbarsare preferably of such length that their rear ends extend a- 'sh ort distance rearwardly beyond the rear turn of this belt so-as to positively confinethe beans on thedelivery portion ofthe 'delivery belt. In thisregion the upper edges of the lnnermost agitator bars are constantlyarrangeda short distance above the uppensun; face of the operative stretch-of the delivery belt so as toform a channelthroughwhichthe beans after being separated and straight ened; are positivelycontrolled up tothetime the beans are delivered by this-belt to the devices which carry the same to the snipping or cutting mechanism., The intermediate members and the outermost members of both g-roups of agitator bars need however only be carried a short distance-rearwarolly beyond-the guide bar 22 inasmuchas the beans at no time reach the rear ends of these bars by reason of the operation ofthe defiectors 25,. 26' on the same operating to successivelydirect the same from the outermost to the intermediate bars and then tothe innermost agitator: bars from which latter the beans-finally work over upon the delivery belt. The innermost agitator bars and the outermost members of both groups of these bars are not connected in pairs in the-man nor in which this is done with reference to drawings, this carrier preferably comprises; an endless belt 3% which passes with its front turn around. a-pulley 35: and is provided on itsout-er side with a plurality oftransverse buckets orpockets :36 each of which is are ranged length-wise in line with the-delivery belt while passing transversely below the place where the beansare dischargedtby the rear turn of the delivery belt. The operative stretch of the carrying belt 34L is uppermost and moves between two longitudinal side walls 37, 38's0 that each of itspocke'ts isvsuccessively moved into alinement with the rear turn ofthe delivery belt and receives one or more of the string beans which are deposited in a crosswise position in the respective pocket, so that these-beans are under positive control and opposite ends of the same may be reliably'presented to appropriate cutting mechanism for trimming off these ends the: required extent and without undue waste of material preparatory to cooking or packing these beans for the trade. I

In order'to prevent the delivery belt from throwing'the beans over the wall 38 of the carrying belt which is farthest fromthedelivery belt, a guard plate 39 is provided which projects upwardly from the" wall 38' op'positetothe discharge of the delivery belt and operates to direct the beans discharged pockets or buckets of the carrier.

This string bean feeding mechanism may be used in connection'rwith a cutter mechanism of any suitable character, but prefer.- ably of the type shown in an application for patent filed by myself on the 3rd day of September, 1914, and serially numbered 860,008.

By means of my improved feeding mechanism it is possible to take the massiof beans which vary as tolength, thickness and. shape and not only separate them but also feed them uniformly and a few at a time in the proper position comparatively fast to a machine which is intended to snip the ends or otherwise operate upon the beans.

In its construction this machine'ha s no complicated or delicate parts which are liable to be easily broken or get out of order; the same is not liable to become clogged by beans of abnormal shape and but very little poweris required for its operation, thereby effecting a considerable saving in the cost of feeding and snipping beans by machinery as compared with the cost when these operations are performed by hand. Furthermore, by separating, positioning and feeding the beans/in this manner, the resulting product" is more cleanly and sanitary inasmuch as no handling of the same is necessary.

I claim as my invention: P

1. A mechanism for feeding strin'g beans and the like comprising a horizontaldelivery belt, an agitator bar arranged lengthwise" by the same'downwardly into the adjacent.

adjacent to said belt, and means for reciproeating said bar horizontally and vertically.

2. A mechanismfor feeding string beans and the like comprising a horizontal delivery belt, an agitator bar arranged lengthwise adjacent to said belt, and means for reciprocating said bar horizontally and vertically comprising a support on which the rear part of said bar slides and a rotatable eccentric operatively engaging the front end of said 3. A mechanism for feeding string beans and the like comprising a horizontal delivery belt, an agitator bar arranged lengthwise adjacent to said belt, a deflector arranged on the upper side of said bar, and means for reciprocating said bar horizontally and vertically.

4. A mechanism for feeding string beans and the like comprising a delivery belt, walls arranged on opposite sides of said belt, two

sets of agitator bars arranged respectively, between said belt and said walls, and means for reciprocating the bars of each set lengthwise and vertically at different times.

5. A mechanism for feeding string beans and the like comprising a delivery belt, walls arranged on opposite sides of said belt, two sets of agitator bars arranged respectively, between said belt and said walls, and means for reciprocating the bars of each set lengthwise and vertically at different times, comprising a shaft having a plurality of eccentrics each of which engages operatively with one of said bars and each eccentric being arranged out of line with an adjacent eccentric.

6. A mechanism for feeding string beans and the like comprising a delivery belt, walls arranged on oppositesides of said belt, two sets of agitator bars arranged, respectively, between said belt and said walls, and means for reciprocating the bars of each setlengthwise and vertically at different times comprising a shaft having a plurality of eccentrics each of which engages operatively with one end of one of said bars and each eccentric being arranged out of line with an adj acent eccentric and a fixed support on which the opposite end of each of saidbars slides.

7. A mechanism for feeding string beans and the like comprising a delivery belt, walls arranged on opposite sides of said belt,'two

sets of agitator bars arranged, respectively,

between said belt and said walls, means'for reciprocating the bars of each set lengthwisev and-:vertically at different times, and de fiectors arranged on the uppersides of said bars, the deflectors of one set of bars being arranged at different points lengthwise of the several bars of one set and together forming an oblique row and the rows of deflectors of both sets of bars converging fori wardly.

8. A mechanism for feeding string beans and the like comprising a delivery belt, walls arranged on opposite sides of said belt, two sets of agitator bars arranged, respectively, between said belt and said walls, means for reciprocating the bars ofeach set lengthwise and vertically at different times, and a connection between the bars next to said'belt at the rear ends thereof.

sets of agitator bars arranged, respectively,

between said belt and said walls, the bars next to said belt projecting with their rear ends beyond the discharge turn of said belt, while the other bars terminate at their rear ends short of the discharge turn of said belt, and means for reciprocating the bars of each set lengthwise and vertically at different times.

Witness my hand this 14th day of August, 1914.

WILBER KILLINGSWORTH.

Witnesses:

A. FULZBAOHER, MARTIN F. CUDDEN.

(Jopies 01 this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe f Commissioner of .Iatentc,

Washington, D. G." 1 

